The Council of the City of Watervliet seeks to exercise the
local option set forth in § 103(1) of the New York General
Municipal Law, which authorizes the City of Watervliet to award purchase
contracts and contracts for services subject to competitive bidding
under General Municipal Law § 103 on the basis of either
the lowest responsible bidder or "best value," as defined in § 163
of the New York State Finance Law. The best value option may be used
if it is more cost efficient over time to award the good or service
to other than the lowest responsible bidder or offeror due to factors
such as lower cost of maintenance, durability, high quality, and longer
product life.

The Council of the City of Watervliet may award purchase contracts
and contracts for services that have been procured pursuant to competitive
bidding under General Municipal Law § 103 by either the
lowest responsible bidder or best value.

The provisions of this article apply to City purchase contracts,
including contracts for services, involving an expenditure of more
than $20,000 but exclude purchase contracts necessary for the completion
of a public works contract pursuant to Article 8 of the New York State
Labor Law and any other contract that may in the future be excluded
under state law from the best value option. If the dollar thresholds
of General Municipal Law § 103 are increased or decreased
in the future by the State Legislature, the dollar thresholds set
forth herein shall be deemed simultaneously amended to match the new
General Municipal thresholds.

Goods and services procured and awarded on the basis of best
value are those that the Council of the City of Watervliet determines
will be of the highest quality and most cost efficient. The determination
of quality and cost efficiency shall be based on an objective and
quantifiable analysis, which may include, but shall not be limited
to, any or all of the following: cost of maintenance, proximity to
the end user if distance or response time is a significant term, durability,
availability or replacement parts or maintenance contractors, longer
product life, product performance criteria, and quality of craftsmanship.

Any inconsistent provision of the City of Watervliet's
procurement policy, as adopted prior to the effective date of this
chapter by resolution of the Council of the City of Watervliet, or
as amended thereafter, shall be deemed superseded by the provisions
of this article.